‘Dark, provocative and a refreshing take on the psychological thriller genre. Darling and Lola are both brilliant creations’ Emma Curtis, author of One Little Mistake

Lola doesn’t particularly want a new stepmother. Especially not one who has come out of nowhere and only been with her dad for three weeks. And – she’s not racist or anything – but since when did her dad like black women anyway?

Darling didn’t particularly want a new stepdaughter. Especially not one as spiteful and spoilt as Lola. She does want Lola’s dad though. And he wants her, so that’s that: Darling and Lola will just have to get used to each other.

Unless Lola can find a way to get rid of Darling.

Reviews

‘Fast-paced … similar in spirit to Lionel Shriver’s We Need to Talk About Kevin’ Sunday Times

‘Stunning. I swung back and forth not knowing who to trust, and loved the two different voices which were so distinct. It had some brilliant twists and surprises, and I never knew where it was going. On top of that it was so beautifully written with such a distinctive style’ Laura Marshall, author of Friend Request

‘Sure to be a reading group favourite’ Metro

‘A darkly funny and modern take on literature’s wicked stepmothers. Inspired by the racist abuse she was subjected to after the Brexit referendum, Rachel Edwards isn’t pulling any punches’ Independent

‘A brilliant and surprising chameleon of a novel. I was so absorbed in the voices of Darling and Lola that the twists and turns of their story left me reeling’ Eleanor Wasserberg, author of Foxlowe

‘A page-turning thriller that grips the reader with its twisty exploration of the complex relationship between step mother and step daughter. I read through the night to discover the dramatic denouement’ Kate Hamer, author of The Girl in the Red Coat

‘I devoured Darling in a couple of days; told by two unforgettable female narrators, it's urgent, original and genuinely unputdownable’ Clare Fisher, author of All the Good Things

‘Dark, provocative and a refreshing take on the psychological thriller genre. Darling and Lola are both brilliant creations’ Emma Curtis, author of One Little Mistake

About the author

Rachel Edwards lives in Oxfordshire with her husband, stepdaughter and stepson. She was inspired to write Darling after being subjected to racist abuse the morning after the 2016 EU referendum. This is her first novel.